March 22 - Stephen Sondheim; Andrew Lloyd Webber (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for March 22nd may be found here: Stephen Sondheim & Andrew Lloyd Webber (2019), Gerard Hoffnung.(2020), Stephen Sondheim (2021),  Stephen Sondheim (2023), Stephen Sondheim (2023), Stephen Sondheim (2024), and Stephen Sondheim; Andrew Lloyd Webber (2025)

+++++++++++++++++++++

Stephen Sondheim (22 March 1930 – 26 November 2021) was an American composer and lyricist.  

Andrew Lloyd Webber (b. 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theater.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aries Arise!

The fact that such differing greats

Share birthdays together creates

A case where astrology

Should prepare an apology

For the faults of the stars and the fates.

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.]

March 21 - Modest Mussorgsky (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous postings for March 21st may be found here: J. S. Bach [sic] (2019), Modest Mussorgsky (2020), Modest Mussorgsky; Hermann Finck (2021), Modest Mussorgsky (2022),  Modest Mussorgsky (2023), Thurlow Lieurance; Modest Mussorgski (2024). and Modest Mussorgsky (2025)

+++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Modest Mussorgsky (21 March [O.S. 9 March] 1839 – 28 March [O.S. 16 March] 1881) was a Russian composer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making the Same Point Twice

I need hardly remind the reader that the orchestral piece universally known as 'Mussorgsky's Night on the Bare Mountain' is an orchestral composition by Rimsky-Korsakov based on the later version of the Bare Mountain music which Mussorgsky prepared for Sorochintsy Fair. – Gerald Abraham, as qtd. in Wikipedia, s,v. "Night on Bald Mountain" 

(1)

A Night on Bald Mountain is known

   In a version that's highly emended,

And musical scholars have shown

  It's not what Mussorgsky intended.

 

(2)

A Night on Bald Mountain, a score

   Which is given in Rimsky's edition,

Takes Mussorgsky's musical ore,

   And subjects it to recomposition.

 

 

 

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.]  

 

March 20 - Sister Rosetta Tharpe (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for March 20th may be found here: Bernd Alois Zimmermann (2019), Vera Lynn (2020), Lauritz Melchior (2021), Marian McPartland (2022), John Braham (2023), Yunchan Lim (2024) and Yunchan Lim (2025)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sister Rosetta Tharpe (20 March 1915 – 9 October 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Might Have Beens

If Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Had played on the autoharp

Instead of electric guitar,

She wouldn't have been a star

With a ranking of number six

On Rolling Stone's all-time picks.

 

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.]  

 

March 19 - Leonhard von Call (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous postings for March 19th may be found here:  Max Reger (2019), Josef Matthias Hauer (2020), Robert McFerrin Sr.; Max Reger (2021), Max Reger (2022), Max Reger (2023), Max Reger (2024), and  Max Reger (2025)

++++++++++++++++++

 

Leonhard von Call (19 March 1767 – 19 February 1815), sometimes referred to as "Leonhard de Call", was an Austrian composer and virtuoso on the mandolin and guitar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stepping Into the Breach

A virtuoso, he wrote not for other virtuosos but for the people he was teaching or amateurs, and today it is felt by some musicians that his works "made no great technical demands". – Wikipedia

The repertoire for mandolin

Has always been a trifle thin.

Von Call, who recognized this gap,

Was also an obliging chap,

And wrote a bunch of easy rep

To help with the initial prep

Of amateurs and young beginners

Who pined to shine as mandolinners.

 

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

 

You say Mandolin, I Say Mandoline

When looking up the mandoline,

   The spelling is the key;

The instrument for slicing thin

    Is written with an "e".

The instrument for serenades

   As played by Herr von Call,

Has neither "e" nor fatal blades, —

   It's safer, overall.

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.]  

March 18 - John Kander (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous postings for March 18th may be found here: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (2019), John Kirkpatrick (2020), Adam Levine (2021), John Kander (2022), John IV of Portugal (2023), Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (2024), and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (2025)

+++++++++++++++++++++ 

 

John Kander (b. 18 March 1927) is an American composer, who with lyricist Fred Ebb, wrote successful Broadway shows including Cabaret and Chicago.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Do You Solve a Problem?

If you're aiming to do Cabaret

In most controversial way,

You could make Ebb and Kander

Insipid and blander

In a Rodgers and Hammerstein way.

 

 

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.]